Cod Almighty | Diary
Diary - Wednesday 15 September 2004
15 September 2004
Terrell Forbes has signed for the Mariners on a weekly contract, and the Diary is determined to resist any temptation to call him "controversial" until such time as the former Queen's Park Rangers defender publishes an article in the Observer implicating Tony Blair's children in the death of Diana Princess of Wales. In announcing the news today, Town's official website is too mealy-mouthed to refer directly to the player's forthcoming trial for allegations of rape yet still contrives to deliver a patronising 'innocent until proven guilty' sermon: "We look forward to him receiving the support the club needs to progress," it announces menacingly. Spelling his name correctly would be a good start, guys.
Twenty-six-year-old striker Paul Harries has done what you thought no man would ever do by becoming the second Australian on trial at Blundell Park. Lately of Carlisle, Macclesfield and the very sensibly named antipodean side Football Kingz, the player joins his fellow barbie enthusiast John Tambourine in Cleethorpes, and both players follow what is now standard GTFC practice for foreign trialists by coming all this way and then not playing when there's a reserve game. For Town's second string face Huddersfield's at BP this afternoon, and neither of the club's Fosters-quaffing trialists make the 16 names on the teamsheet; although Andy Mumford, the former Swansea defender who joined the Mariners on trial way back in July, does, probably just because Russell and Graham have forgotten who he is and are too embarrassed to ask after all this time.
As you have probably calculated already, Town have plunged 68 places down the league since that peculiar day just a shade over three years ago when they ascended to the top of what was then Division One. Between then and now, just about the only young reserve player who has not been flung into the first team by some desperate manager or other is Kirk Wheeler, who has now joined Conference North side Barrow on loan. The barrel-chested central defender signed yesterday, 15 minutes before the deadline for him to play in last night's 1-1 draw against Ashton United, though the Diary's fleet of highly trained surveillance cormorants are unable to report on Wheeler's performance after encountering severe congestion on the M6.
OK - finally, anyone at all who has emailed CA about wanting to pay for a T-shirt by cheque or wanting one shipped abroad, and who hasn't received a reply, could you please send another email to the Diary at the address on the left there (scroll back up). The Cod Almighty fashionwear department has had some recent trouble with incoming email, apparently. Probably encountered severe congestion on the M6 or something.